Level A1-A2 (Beginner)
Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker.
The French Word of the Day is coup, meaning “hit” or “blow”. I chose this word because it appears in countless expressions you’ll hear in everyday conversations. But what does the word “coup” itself mean? Let’s break it down!
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
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📘 Coup meaning
Coup (m.) is a very common French noun that means “hit”, “a blow”, or “a knock”, usually referring to a sudden physical impact. By extension, it appears in a huge number of everyday idiomatic expressions like un coup de main (a helping hand) or jeter un coup d’œil (to take a quick look). The core idea is that the action is always quick or sudden.
🎧 Coup pronunciation
The pronunciation of coup in French is /ku/ — roughly koo.
📝 Coup example sentences
Elle s’est cognée contre la table — le coup a été fort !
She bumped into the table — the blow was strong!
Il est tombé du vélo, mais le coup n’était pas grave.
He fell off his bike, but the impact wasn’t serious.
Il a reçu un coup sur la tête.
He got hit on the head.
Le boxeur a donné un coup à son adversaire.
The boxer struck his opponent.
Here’s a fun expression using coup that you’ll love!
👉 Le coup de foudre — Love at first sight ❤️ »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
The word coup appears in lots of French expressions. Here are six of the most common and most useful ones to learn first.
- donner un coup de main — to give a helping hand
- jeter un coup d’œil — to take a quick look or glance
- passer un coup de fil — to make a quick phone call
- boire un coup — to have a drink
- un coup de cœur — favorite, something you love
- faire d’une pierre deux coups — to kill two birds with one stone
🔗 Related lessons on FrenchLearner
👉 Tout à coup — suddenly »
👉 Du coup — so, anyway »
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